The Righteous

I have now picked up my brain cells that this BRILLIANT book scattered.

First of all, a kind thank you to the publisher who granted me an e-ARC of this book. I never in a million years thought I'd get this.

I have loved this series for so long, and you get this attached to a series, you're almost afraid to read the next book. I felt this deeply when I learned that The Righteous would be mostly in Pipa's and Arjun's povs. Arjun was one of my favorite side-characters in the first two books, but I loved Bastien so much that I didn't know how it would work. But HOLY MOLY.

I repeat. HOLY. MOLY.

Let's take it step by step. Our new main character duo!

I will follow Arjun to the Vale and beyond. Seriously. Someone tries to hurt my boy, and I'll hunt them down. I can honestly say that Arjun is one of all-time favorite characters, alongside Bastien and Magnus Bane. Arjun isn't as flashy as Magnus but they both have this coping mechanism of hiding their pain and traumas with wit and indifference (that isn't as real as they pretend to). Arjun is also as smart and resourceful as Bastien is, but when Bastien commands the scene almost by attacking it, Arjun takes the reins from afar in the "I know I'm awesome and I'm happy from my place of honor over here". I truly, truly, TRULY LOVED ARJUN.

And Pipa, this girl is an inspiration. It's not that she discovered herself in this book. She was always brave, good, and endearing. It was that she embraced who she is and what she wants. She can a little frustrating (haha) but she's so endearing, likeable, and RELATABLE. Celine is a brazen character, but Pipa is as strong and wonderful main character as Celine. Reading her pov was like a breath of fresh air. It was a beauty to finally see a character like Pipa as the main lead. I think Pipa is more nuanced than Celine, in fact.

Plot

I'm usually very good at predicting what was going to happen, but in this case, I just lay back in my bed and enjoyed the wild ride through the Vale. The pacing is the same characteristic pacing from the first two books, and even though at times, it slowed down, I enjoyed the characters and the world too much to care. I can read ten books set in this universe, and it won't get old.

Worldbuilding

Mind-blowing. Ethereal as Arjun. (See what I did there?)

For those who are interested in povs, The Righteous includes povs by Arjun and Pipa (mostly), Bastien (some, thank goodness), Celine, Michael, and Emilie (few).

Overall, I believe The Righteous is brilliantly crafted, from the characters down to the narrative messages the author has included. The author conveyed those messages in such a superb, elegant, and succinct way. She tackled colonialism and misogyny, tore them down, and spit them out.

One of my favorite series, and one perfect sequel that is like no other. Cannot wait for the fourth and last book.

Renee has not disappointed with this instalment of her vampire series!! I find myself lost in this world and never wanting to return to the real world. Thank you for writing such a superb book

As expected, this book was absolutely beautiful and did not disappoint. The imagery, the language, the characters; everything is so well written and creates such a depth that is unique and utterly fascinating. I’m so grateful and honoured to have received an arc and cannot wait for other people to read it too!

I enjoy the previous two books, but I think this was is actually my favorite. In the previous books I wasn’t a fan of Pippa and Arjun but The Righteous changed my mind. I simply loved them here. It was great getting to know more about them in this book.

I was captivated by The Righteous since the beginning and couldn’t stop reading.

I can’t wait for the next book in the series to see where to author takes the story next.

Arc generously provided via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.